Lamentations for Dysfunctional Country -Gongloe Cries Out: ‘What kind of country is this?’

MONROVIA – From the days of the settlers who, after enduring 400 years of slavery in the Americas arrived on these shores and replicated and imposed the same conditions of servitude they had suffered upon the natives, the country continues to be riddled by the vicious cycle of broken promises for change from one political regime to another, doing exactly what they had criticized and had vowed to transform. And for over two centuries, the country is sunk into the deep pit of poverty and its accomplices: hunger, illiteracy, disease. This has provoked the discontentment and lamentation of a Liberian politician and lawyer, who vented his ire over the state of condition during his keynote address at the convention of the country’s youngest political party. The Analyst reports.    

Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Liberia’s Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, has once again risen to the occasion, and as his custom is, fiercely addressed the perennial leadership crisis facing Africa’s oldest republic, wherein one government after another comes power promising to right the wrongs of the past but repeating those very same mistakes and webbed by failures.

Delivering the keynote speech at the First Convention of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) on Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Saclepea, Nimba County, the presidential candidate in the last 2023 election, wondered why Liberia, despite being the cradle of democracy in Africa, under the canopy of leadership, continues to violate international law and human dignity, and why is that, as a nation, Liberia perpetually ignores the very principles upon which it is supposed to stand.

Gongloe, the man who earned his stripes by speaking truth to power, and never allow the trappings of power to becloud his judgment about right and wrong, spoke on the theme: ‘Building a New Liberia of Integrity, Peace, Progress, Prosperity, and Unity Secured by a Strong Commitment to Rule of Law.”

He said Liberia definitely cannot go down the same path of neglect, but a new and better Liberia must be birthed by a new leadership that respects the rule of law, upholds human rights, and leads with dignity, not ignorance and arrogance.

He lamented: “What kind of country is this, where one government comes to power, promising to right the wrongs of the past, only to repeat those very same mistakes? What kind of country is this where, under the guise of leadership, we violate international law and human dignity? We cannot continue to operate in a nation that ignores the very principles upon which it is supposed to stand. This is why we need a new kind of leadership, a leadership that will respect the rule of law, uphold human rights, and lead with dignity, not ignorance and arrogance. The time for change is now! Let us stop pretending that these are small issues. They are huge. They are the very issues that keep families perpetually in a state of abject poverty and make it difficult if not impossible for them to break free from the chains of poverty. Liberia needs a leadership that will change the current direction of Liberia toward progress and prosperity. I want to ask you, my fellow Liberians —when will we stop this madness? When will we decide that our future is worth more than the comfort of a few?”

The former Liberia National Bar Association president said Liberia cannot continue down the same path of neglect.

He continued: “We need to invest in our children, in our schools, in our healthcare system, food production, infrastructure and in our future. Let’s rise up! Let’s demand better governance! We need to change the mindset that has held us back for so long. Let us build a Liberia where no one is above the law, where corruption is rooted out, and where justice is for all-not just for the rich and influential, the elites. A better Liberia is possible, but it will not come with the same leaders, the same practices, or the same mindset. We must make tough choices during election time.”

 “We need a leader who understands that Liberia’s future is in the hands of its people, and that the only way forward is good leadership. More than that we need a national crusade of all well-meaning Liberians beyond party lines to change the direction of Liberia for the better. The time to act is now. We need a new Liberia—a country where every child has an opportunity to thrive, where there is hope for the future generations of Liberia and where the government is no longer a place to steal, but a place to serve. Let’s build the Liberia we deserve! Together, we can make it happen! Can we? I want an answer! Can we? Can we? Yes indeed, we can!” Cllr. Gongloe stated emphatically.”

The First Convention speaker of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) expressed appreciation over his selection to address the convention despite being a non-member of the CMC, noting that the challenges facing Liberia call for a non-partisan voice for change because Liberians must rise above political affiliations in demanding change.

“This is not just a speech; this is a call to action. It is a call to transform our nation that has endured far too much under the weight of greed, corruption, selfishness and mismanagement. Those responsible for this state of affairs in Liberia tend to forget that Liberia is a nation that was founded on the dreams of liberty, justice, and opportunity for all, but has been betrayed over the years by those who were given the opportunity to protect and serve. We stand at a crucial crossroads where the decisions we make today will shape the future of generations yet to come.

“Liberia was meant to be a beacon of hope-not just for Africa, but for all oppressed people of the world. Liberia was meant to be a shining example of what the people of Africa are capable of achieving when led with wisdom, honesty and unity of purpose. But that dream, my friends, remains elusive due to corruption, greed and selfishness. We have been held back for too long by the greed and selfishness of those who are supposed to effectively manage our country for the benefit of all Liberians. For too long, our country has been crushed under the weight of bad governance. Our leaders have been more concerned with filling their pockets than fulfilling the promises of freedom, justice, and equality. They have built empires for themselves while the people of Liberia suffer and are trapped in extreme poverty and deprivation,” Cllr. Gongloe said.

Reflecting on the current harsh economic realities facing the country and the refusal of the government to priorities development projects over recurrent costs that benefit only a few people in government, the CMC First Convention Speaker called on the audience to see the national budget as something that shows the unseriousness of the government to improve the lives of the citizenry.

“Let us take a moment to reflect on the reality we face today. This year, we have a budget that totals US$880.66 million-the largest ever in Liberia’s history. But here’s the problem: 87.9% of this budget, a staggering US$773.95 million, is allocated to recurrent expenditures – mostly salaries and benefits for a few-while only 12.9% is set aside for capital expenditures. This is a disaster for Liberia’s future! How can we ever hope to build a prosperous Liberia if only $12.90 out of every $100 or 12.9 cents out of every dollar is spent on the things that matter most-education, healthcare, food production, and roadbuilding?

“While the rest of the world moves forward, we remain stuck in a cycle of consumption and waste, with very little investment in our children’s education, our people’s health, food production and our national infrastructure. There are other African countries that have a better and enviable budget formula.

“Look at countries like Botswana, Mauritius, Rwanda, Cape Verde, and others in Africa. Although a military government, what is happening in Burkina Faso is laudable. These nations have made smart investments in capital expenditures, prioritizing education, healthcare, infrastructure, and sustainable economic development. They are allocating their resources wisely. Botswana, for example, invested heavily in education and healthcare, and today, it stands as one of Africa’s more prosperous countries, with an economy that is diversifying and growing. Mauritius has built a world-class educational system and is an example of how an island nation can thrive through strategic investment. Rwanda, known for its remarkable recovery after the genocide, is now a hub of development in East Africa-investing in education, healthcare, and infrastructure. Rwanda is also making a lot of money from tourism because of its strong commitment to promoting law and order. It has been described as the safest country in Africa.

 “In contrast, Liberia’s budget formula keeps feeding more and more money into recurrent expenditures at the expense of our people’s future. If this trend continues, Liberia will never develop in a hundred years! We are literally short-changing our future by not prioritizing the investment needed to lift our people out of poverty. And let us not forget that we have a President who has been engaged in business as usual, spending more money on recurrent expenditures than on the things that matter-healthcare, education, agriculture, roadbuilding, and the needs of the Liberian people.

“Even worse, we are witnessing a President embarking on foreign trips, like his visit to Sierra Leone for four days, without any clear economic, social, or political benefit to Liberia. At the same time, ordinary Liberians are forced to pay graduation fees and buy overpriced school uniforms from schools attended by their children-some of which cost more than the market price. This is not leadership! This is a failure of leadership! And here’s where I urge the President to take a bold step to rescue parents from the unnecessary burden placed on parents by both private and public schools. President Boakai must cut off graduation fees and stop schools from selling school uniforms. Education is a right, not a privilege, and it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that our children can access it without unnecessary financial barriers.

 “As the economic hardship in Liberia grows, cutting of these unnecessary financial burdens in education is one of the “low-hanging fruits” that can be addressed immediately to relieve our people. This is a simple but powerful way to immediately ease the financial burden on our citizens, and it would show that the government is truly committed to education as a right. Education is the key to our nation’s future, and it is vital that we stop creating the impression that in Liberia, education is a privilege reserved for the few that can afford. But what is perhaps the most tragic is the government’s blatant disregard for the rule of law and international human rights.

“I want to remind President Boakai and his officials of something deeply troubling-the decision to send a citizen of Guinea back to his home country, where he feared persecution, was a grave violation of human rights. This same government, which promised to uphold the rule of law, decided to do the same thing that President George Weah’s administration did when it sent back a police chief fleeing from Sierra Leone due to fear of persecution. This action of the government was clearly “business as usual”. Yet no government in West Africa or any part of Africa has ever sent back to Liberia a Liberian citizen running away from Liberia for fear of persecution by the Government of Liberia. For example, when the Government of Liberia under President Weah demanded the return of Henry Costa from Sierra Leone, while he was fleeing from Liberia, the government of Sierra Leone refused to comply, citing her respect for international human rights law, particularly the principle of non-refoulement enshrined in the Refugee Convention of 1951 to which both Liberia and Sierra Leone are state parties.

“Liberia cannot continue down the same path of neglect. We need to invest in our children, in our schools, in our healthcare system, food production, infrastructure and in our future. Let’s rise up! Let’s demand better governance! We need to change the mindset that has held us back for so long. Let us build a Liberia where no one is above the law, where corruption is rooted out, and where justice is for all-not just for the rich and influential, the elites. A better Liberia is possible, but it will not come with the same leaders, the same practices, or the same mindset. We must make the tough choices during election time,” Cllr. Gongloe stated matter-of-factly.